Israeli Assessment: Iran's Buried 'Pickaxe Mountain' Complex Can Still Be Neutralized

New details emerged on Wednesday, July 22, regarding Iran's underground "Pickaxe Mountain" facility, located near Natanz. The site already houses centrifuges that have been transferred there, along with all of the components required to establish a uranium enrichment facility, though it is not yet operational. Assessments indicate that Iran is prepared to build an underground complex capable of carrying out the entire uranium enrichment process at the location. The introduction of enriched uranium into the facility would be treated as a bright red line, since it could signal the capability to enrich uranium to weapons-grade purity of ninety percent.

Israeli defense officials believe that even with the military capabilities available to the United States, it would not be possible to destroy the underground facility outright. They assess, however, that the site can be neutralized, preventing it from ever becoming an active enrichment plant. Analysts point to real vulnerabilities in the complex, including its electrical, ventilation and supporting infrastructure systems, all of which could be targeted in a military strike. That assessment shapes Israeli planning as the facility moves toward completion.

Research by nuclear expert David Albright fills in the picture. Construction of the tunnel complex began in 2020 inside a granite mountain and includes at least two entrances leading to a facility more than one hundred meters underground. The underground halls are large enough to eventually accommodate an enrichment plant housing thousands of centrifuges, as well as other activities tied to Iran's nuclear program. Throughout 2025, Iran strengthened the site's defenses by adding a perimeter fence, layering concrete and earth around the tunnel entrances, and sealing some of the access points. The facility remains under construction, but if completed and activated, it could become a central component of Tehran's continued nuclear ambitions.

(INN/VFI News)

Lord God, You alone see what is hidden beneath the mountains and beyond the reach of any weapon, and nothing is concealed from Your eyes. We ask You to frustrate every effort to build an instrument of mass destruction against Your people, and to bring to light whatever must be uncovered. Grant the analysts and commanders who study this threat clarity of judgment and steadiness of nerve, and give Israel's leaders wisdom to act rightly and at the right hour. We ask that Israel would dwell in security, and that the desire for such weapons would be turned aside. In Yeshua's Name we pray.